Leaning Into Faith: Our Honest Conversation About God, the Universe & the Divine

This one’s a little different. Megan and Nate sit down for an honest, unscripted conversation about faith — God, the universe, the divine, whatever word feels right to you.
Megan shares what it’s been like to finally learn how to bring God into her daily life, not just show up on Sundays. From the New Living Translation Bible to a morning prayer app to a faith-based wellness program called Kingdom Fit Moms — she’s leaning in, and she’s learning as she goes.
Nate opens up about the moment faith finally clicked for him, what his gratitude practice looks like, and why serving as a volunteer firefighter has always been an act of faith — whether he named it that or not.
They talk about surrendering control, reaching out to God before the crisis hits, the intersection of science and energy and spirit, and why it’s never too late to start.

Welcome to The Dry Life- Alcohol -Free Lifestyle, Marriage Growth In Sobriety, the podcast where one real couple gets honest about sobriety, personal growth, and everything in between. Join us — a husband and wife duo — as we share our sobriety journey, including the raw ups and downs, the unexpected benefits of alcohol-free living, and the lifelong learning that has transformed our lives and our marriage. Whether you’re sober curious, newly sober, or years into your recovery journey, this podcast is your reminder that life after alcohol can be full, rich, and deeply rewarding. Each week we dive into real conversations about sober living, self-development, mindset shifts, and the daily commitment it takes to keep growing. If you’re looking for a sobriety podcast that goes beyond just quitting drinking and explores what it truly means to thrive, you’re in the right place.

faith journey, spirituality and sobriety, bringing God into your life, Christian women podcast, how to pray, New Living Translation Bible, NLT app, Kingdom Fit Moms, God-led life, surrendering to God, higher power sobriety, volunteer firefighter faith, leaning into faith, baby Christian, universe and energy, divine timing, gratitude practice, faith and science, C.S. Lewis faith, sober and spiritual, Dry Life podcast, midwest faith, Lutheran podcast, morning prayer routine, spiritual growth for women

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello everybody. It's Megan and Nate from the Dry Life. Nate, do you want to say hello? Hi. So we are um I'm leading the charge today. We are going to be talking about God, the universe, the divine, whatever you call it. And it will be just an honest chat. I didn't really talk to Nate too much about what it's gonna be about today, but I'm sure he'll hang in there with me. On standby. On standby. So I okay, so I grew up going to church. Like I did a lot of stuff with the church. Um I did too. Yeah, but I don't feel like I ever really is it recording. Oh, I didn't know what you were doing. Um, I don't feel like I ever really knew how to bring it into, like it was something we did on Sundays, and then we'd go on a trip, and or maybe I was just like a little slow or something, but I never like brought it into my life so much. Like we'd go on Sundays, we'd talk about faith. That was the big thing, like talking about faith. Like, you don't have any proof, but you just have to have faith in God, and so lately I have been kind of curious, and I feel drawn to bring God more into my life, and I know with sobriety, like the uh I don't know much about AA, but I do know that there is like a higher power piece, and that is like super important, one of the pillars of of that. I know we um just kind of quit on our own. Um it's been almost four years now, and I'm just recently feeling this pull to get closer to God. So um, some steps that I have taken. Well, I we started, I guess, last year, because we were gonna do the podcast with Father Mike. Father Mike Schmitz. You can talk, you can talk. You don't have to have me talk all the time.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Oh, that's okay. Uh, but yeah, Father Mike Schmitz is uh he's great. You should you should give him a listen.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Um he's Catholic, but um we're not.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Yeah, we are not, but um well, we're certainly open to all kinds of denominations, and I think I mean I I think we call ourselves Lutheran, but um I think there's a lot to learn from from other denominations and also other religions, too.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

So we kind of started, so I guess that was like 2025. We're like, okay, we're gonna listen to the was it just like 300, like a year of the Bible, so like every night before we went to sleep.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, it was it was a it was a passage out of the Bible.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

Yeah, it was a pot. He has a podcast, like 365. You're getting frustrated with me.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

No, I think you're too sensitive.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

I am that's one of my things I'm working on.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Carry on. Okay. I'm with you.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So, um, and I we got pretty far. I think we got like 50 days into it, and then we just like got in, I think it was Leviticus, where it's just like a ton of numbers and like measurements and you know, he goats and she goats and sacrifices and entrails, like, yeah, and then I think we just kind of stopped. So then recently I've picked it up um because I've been listening to a lot of different podcasts. So one of the podcasts that I really enjoy is God Led Business by Stephanie Gass. And she um and I'm drawn to do one of her programs, but I already signed up for a program that I'm doing um with another gal, like a 10-week online course. But Stephanie Gass does um she was like a network network marketer, and then she um lost it all, and she knew she wanted to do a business. Um, and then she she actually did get sober, and she um runs this God-led business podcast, and then she does a podcast profit boot camp. So she helps people um that want to have a business like led by God, kind of. And I didn't really know what that meant until I started listening to her, and um it's very comforting and very nice, and she like actually talks about having like business meetings with God, and I was like, what is that? And so where I'm going with this is I don't even know where I'm going with this, but I feel like I just am getting excited. She recommends this one Bible, which I have right here, and it is uh New Living Translation Bible, so I think it's just a little bit more easier to understand than like reading the standard you know Bible. And then since we had started with Genesis, like I think it's really hard to just read the Bible front to end.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

It's a it's a beast. Yeah. And it's um, you know, it was written quite a quite a while ago in, you know, a different not a different language, but definitely a period of time, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah, so I did some research basically with Claude, my AI friend, and I was like, I really want to read the Bible, but I'm just like having a hard time going Genesis through the end. And so, like, there was a couple ways to do it, and one of the things they suggested in AI was to start with John and then so read, you know, John 1 and then go to Psalms, read that one, and then Proverbs 1. So that's kind of what I've been doing every morning is starting with that because then you kind of get into more like stories and things rather than all those measurements and and just listing of names of people's families and yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

No, and and I've uh I've listened to you doing this, and I give you a lot of credit because um you're trying to form a greater connection.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Yeah, and when he says listening to me doing it, so he means there is an app that goes with this Bible, and I freaking love the app. Every morning there's like a morning, can I say that when I'm talking about the Bible? Freaking. Oh yeah. There is a morning prayer and then like a morning gospel, and it it just takes a few minutes to read it, and then at night there's a night prayer, which is always like really beautiful and kind of like a night gospel, and then they actually have like a seven to ten minute recorded, I think it's like an AI voice, but recorded meditation that you can listen to before bed, and I I'm just loving that, so um, yeah, and you know, uh to backtrack a little bit, I had a you know, a sil similar um story growing up.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

You know, we went to church, it was never required, but um I you know for the most part enjoyed it and um had some friends that went to the churches I went to. Um, but yeah, it it didn't really click um for me. And it took it took a long time, even into adulthood, for me to fully understand. Um, because I always like kind of envied those with very deep faith. Um I just didn't understand it. I didn't feel it, and I tried, and maybe I was trying too hard because I was going to church. Um and then it just clicked at some point, I would say in the last year or two, that and it was such a relief too, and it was such a good feeling to just um, you know, really, really put my uh my everything in into God and trusting that he has a plan. Um and it was just uh a real weight was lifted off me. Um and I guess that just sometimes it just takes time.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

So when you say it really clicked, and how did you get there? I know um maybe you can talk about what you do because I know you have sort of a pre uh practice that you've done for the past year maybe or at night, or yeah, is that what you're talking about?

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Well, that's part of it. Um, and that's um basically just thanking, being thankful and being having gratitude for everything that is good in my life, which you know, it's just basically counting my blessings. Um, and then that opened it up, you know, with consistency. Um, but I'm trying to think of the moment or the time when it really clicked. I know there was a something maybe you and I were reading, or something that we heard. I can't put my finger on it now, but it was it was definitely there was a moment where I understood a lot better.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Understood a lot better.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

That just giving um kind of surrendering to God's power and accepting everything um that religion and God and and that offers. Um yeah, because I I mean I I I've always kind of had that go it alone, figure it out myself kind of mentality, and there are a lot of things that just you you need you need some help along the way.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yeah, that's a big thing is the surrender part, and it's hard. I think another thing that happened I remember I was feeling so like helpless about our daughter at one point, and I couldn't sleep, and I can't remember where I read it or saw it, but I just like woke up and and came down to the kitchen and was just like writing fine, like I think I probably looked online to find Bible verses that were supportive to help that maybe could help her, and I just wrote them all out. I don't know if you remember that day, and I like put them underneath her bed. She found them like a year later, and she's like, What is this, Ma? But that helped me to feel like when you're powerless, I just like gave it to God, and I and I still feel like I'm working on that. I think with everything it takes practice and like obedience to practice to actually have like the regular um conversations, the regular studying. Um and then as you I mean it's just like with anything, then it becomes more of like a habit, and um I still feel sort of like a baby Christian because I'm I'm reading things, I'm understanding it, but then the the hard part is that being quiet, so and this can be done with universe divine everything, it doesn't have to be God, but it's like putting that stuff out there and then sitting in the quiet and waiting for you know answers or you know, your next direction or something like that. Um and I think that's why I really like uh I've been really drawn to like programs with God. So another thing that I'm doing, I start on Monday, is like a um well it's like a weight loss group, but it's um it's called Kingdom Fit Moms, and it's like inviting God into your I mean basically you should just invite God or the universe, there it's there anyway, into your life and what you need help with, and surrender it to them, him, her, whatever. And so this Kingdom Fit Moms talks about you know, like lose the weight for the very last time and by eating the real food that God has provided. So it's it's not like a diet, it's just like um, and there's a whole spiritual part that I'm excited to figure out how to bring that in. And I mean, I would never have thought of that, like, oh well, I need you know, like I just want to lose weight, I want to be healthier, I wanna and like I would never have thought of like bringing God into that, but it's like just bring him into everything, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

No, I was just gonna say that because um it's I mean if you're um if you're if you're diving in headfirst on this, yeah, it should be a part of everything you do. And I think one thing that I was very um one thing I felt guilt guilty about was, you know, before I was, you know, talking about my gratitude uh at night, it was like I only reached out to God when there was a major crisis, you know, and I'm more I'm more comfortable now with giving than receiving. And that means just like I said, counting my blessings. Thank you, thank you for everything I have.

SPEAKER_01 16:53

Um and not expecting anything in return, you know, and but you do you should work on your receiving because God wants to give oh I know, I know, but it's we want it yes, but my point is like yeah, it's certainly accepting that, but not just coming to him only when there's a major crisis.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Um, because I found that it's I I can't think of an example, but it seems to me that it it has worked, it has worked out with things. There's less pressure to get things right. Um and that's a big relief to know that you know Jesus take the wheel, you know, kind of thing, and just trusting. There's a lot of trust involved, too. Um and I think uh I think that's a big piece of it. You know, something that just popped in my head is you know, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I the more I think about it, um, it's it's kind of faith-based in with the idea of helping others, but also there's a firefighter prayer. I don't know it by heart, but it's asking for God's uh protection. And um, you know, just you never know what's gonna happen, but there's this belief that he's looking over you. Um and you know, we we live in a small town. The majority of of the calls we get are are medicals for older people that maybe need help getting into the ambulance or or whatnot. But there's always that chance of something um a little more extreme, and you train for it, you you prepare for it, and uh if that time comes, you you know you've pledged to go into a burning building or whatnot. And you certainly put your faith in God that give me the strength to do what I gotta do, but also look look out after me and my brothers and sisters um if that time comes.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Well, yeah, you're a first responder, so you go into the danger. I mean, and it doesn't even have to be a fire, it could be somebody. You could be. I mean, I know you don't get called to domestic things, but like you get called to car accidents or you know, things, you know, you're going into people's homes, you're going in when people are we we go, we go, we meet people at their worst, yeah. Um and so you never know what somebody else is gonna do. So right.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

I mean, yeah, you know, it's funny to say, or not funny to say, but it's weird to say that on a rescue vehicle we have four um bulletproof vests, if needed, you know, and that's a new thing. Anyway, I I guess my fa uh my um my point is that I think the firefighter service in a lot of ways is faith-based.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

Well, and you were talking about, you know, like you feel bad, like only asking for things, or but I think a lot of people do find bad when they are down at rock bottom or they are you know desperate for help because it it is a comforting thing, and just to know that you don't have to be at rock bottom to reach out to the universe, to God, to the divine, to you know that you're not alone, and um another thing by surrendering, you know. I mean, you can do this for anything in your life, it's like trying not to force things to happen. Like, I think you people that take control and want certain things to happen, and I talk about this a lot, that I feel like people um want something to happen so bad that they maybe force it and it and it wasn't meant to work out. It's like being open, and we've talked about this like in our disappointment episode, or like the universe has such an amazing plan that we couldn't even think of, and we see the one percent, there's ninety-nine percent of everything going on, things moving, things. You know, going in our direction, and I do like to believe that the universe is a positive, is like net positive, it's not a negative thing, like everything is meant to work out for you in the best way possible for the highest good. So that's something that I I find very comforting, and I believe in that because I've had things happen that haven't worked out, and I've been so sad and so upset, and then a week or two later, something even better, and I'm so thankful that the other thing didn't work out, but it like I said, you just don't know. Yeah, there's no way for you to know, so you have to have faith and um you know control what you can and then surrender the rest. Yeah, anything else you want to share?

SPEAKER_00 23:00

I was gonna well I was uh I'm currently recording this on my phone and then I just thought of something to look at, but it was just um I don't maybe this is a for a different what was it?

SPEAKER_01 23:19

What are you looking at?

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Well, it it was um it was a quote from um the author C.S. Lewis, um I think the lion, the witch in the wardrobe, if I remember right. But he was just he was he was not a faith-based person, but then later on in life he became that. And um his his argument was that yes, you you have to I mean you have to have faith because you know you don't physically see God every day holding your hand, you know, it's you definitely I mean it's a quote unquote leap of faith. You you you gotta believe in in the existence, but there are so many things that I mean how can these things happen? This is this is me and my soapbox, but how can all these things happen around us without some kind of divine intervention? I mean, you know, there's a scientific approach to everything, um, but at the same time, I think there's an intersection between science and faith that can coexist. So, um, I think that's what I struggled for so long was just the faith part, like trusting, believing that there is something, and once you really get your head around that.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

And then also, if you look at the science, I mean we're all energy and we give off an energy and the earth is energy, and it's like science almost supports that exchange of energies, and to me that's spiritual. Yeah. Um, I see I think it would be neat neato if people would write in and let us know about your practices um inviting the universe, inviting God, inviting the divine um into your daily life as I continue to to lean more into my faith and bring God more into my life and be open to that. Absolutely neat to hear.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Yeah, I'm I'm with you. I mean, you are at this point you are much more proactive and I respect that. I think it's awesome. I'm a little more, I don't know. I I definitely have my faith and I believe in everything, but I it's it's more of a internal kind of thing, as opposed to getting the perspective of others that you're getting, which is leading you to kind of lean.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Yeah, I mean it's definitely internal, but it's just like learning that you can have like time with God, like just like that whole concept to me was like what like have a business meeting with God or what? And it it's just like I think about how cool it would have been. I mean, I don't who knows, maybe right now, and everything happens for a reason and in its own divine timing and everything. So maybe before I wouldn't have been receptive to it. Um, but now in my life I I can be, and I'm enjoying the journey, you know.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

Yeah, and and living the life that you you think God would want you to live, I think is important.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

Um yeah, I wasn't ever doing anything that I didn't murder anybody or have any affairs.

SPEAKER_00 27:41

That's good. Oh man. I'm going down a rabbit hole now.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

No.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Alright. Well this was uh I enjoyed this conversation. Um, you had the idea, I wasn't sure it was gonna go, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

This is the time now where Nate says, Oh, this was good. This was a good one. He likes to tell people.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Godspeed everybody.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Yeah. Please give us a review or tell us that you're out there. We know you're listening. We can see that you listen. We'd love to hear from you. I'm begging you. No, just kidding. Um, but uh yeah, take care, and uh we'll we'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Have a great week, everybody.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

Ciao.